Staff ill health has cost implications for businesses through loss of production, early retirement, staff turnover and absenteeism (both through long term sick pay and the cost of temporary staff).

Back pain is the most common cause of sickness absence from work in the UK, with an estimated 16 million people affected each year, at a cost to industry of £5.7 billion each year. Meanwhile, evidence shows that physical activity can reduce a person's risk from suffering from back pain and can also aid recovery from back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders.

Work related stress, depression and anxiety form the second most common reasons for work related sickness absence, costing the UK economy between £3.7 and £7 billion each year. However, physical activity has been shown to have an anxiety-reducing effect and single sessions of moderate intensity exercise have been shown to reduce short term reactions to stress and enhance recovery from stressors.

How much physical activity

In adults 18-64 physical activity includes leisure time physical activity, transportation (eg walking or cycling), occupational (ie work), household chores, play, games, sports or planned exercise, in the context of daily, family and community activities.

The Chief Medical Officers (CMO) Recommendations state that in order to improve cardio respiratory and muscular fitness, bone health, reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases and depression:

Adults aged 18-64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or do at least 75 minutes of vigorous intensive aerobic physical activity throughout the week or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous intensity activity.

Aerobic activity should be performed in bouts of at least 10 minutess duration.

For additional health benefits, adults should increase their moderate intensity aerobic physical activity to 300 minutes per week, or engage in 150 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity per week, or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous intensity activity.

Muscle strengthening activities should be done involving major muscle groups on two or more days a week.

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Get Active Cornwall is being developed with funding from the Department of Health, and is being coordinated by the Cornwall Sports Partnership;in collaboration with the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust, LEAP Active and Cornwall Council, amongst a number of other Cornish partners.